There Is a Monster

I enjoyed this movie. The main character is a successful photographer who finds finds himself the target of a creepy, mysterious dark figure who taunts and torments him. The setting is good, we meet the character in his workspace, see his clients and employees. All seems good. But we see cracks in his perfect world -- a near-affair. The story becomes an exercise in building paranoia, reminiscent at times of "Rosemary's Baby" or "The Shining." It features solid performances from lead actors Joey Collins and Ena O'Rourke. Marcellus Shepard is also v. Good as the bestie the lead character pours his heart out to. But he continues to be pursued by this presence. "There is a Monster" is a psychological horror movie that unfolds at a decent pace and has a good twist at the end.

I don't understand people who give this film a "1". Don't they understand this is obviously a very low budget film with limited resources. It's really hard to make a movie. It's beyond hard when you don't have millions of dollars. Also at 82 minutes in length it doesn't take up too much of your time. And, surprisingly, it has a message.

The lead actors are excellent. The music grabs you. And it has a horror wrapper around an important topic. The movie has meaning.

Yes, you have to look past a few things. The VFX is weak at times. But have you ever really looked at Bruce the Shark?

For me the story is the thing. And this film delivers.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, a creation of director Michael Taylor. Subtle and well done. The storyline surprises. Part mystery and a suspense thriller. The ending caught me off guard. Michael Taylor demonstrates that one can create a quality film without spending a fortune. I think this work will especially inspire new filmmakers. I later learned that unfortunate personal experience informed Michael Taylor's script which ends up being a tribute to a family member. Fans of films set in the Washington, DC area and Arlington, Virginia will take note of this rich, independent, low budget production. Highly recommended.

So, guys... "There is a Monster." What can I say about this movie? I came across it on Amazon and didn't know what to expect. Paid the fee and watched. And... liked it a lot. It ain't a perfect movie by any means. But at least the filmmakers (Mike Taylor who wrote and directed; the DP; and the producers) tried to do a subtle horror film where the main villain is this dark force/presence. So no, you will not see axe murders or chainsaws here. But that's been done. I liked the performances by both lead actors. Writer/director Taylor does a good job building paranoia and fanning the flames of his concept. "There is a Monster" is psych horror on a budget, done indie style, a main character locked in a battle with something no one else sees, with a nice surprise ending I didn't expect.

This was an Amazon recommendation after I watched 'For Sale.' The movies aren't remotely similar, but it turned out to be a good recommendation, nonetheless. Some of the reviews have criticized the acting, but I have no idea what those reviewers expect. I found the acting here to be quite good from all involved, particularly the main character and his wife. I also thought the presentation of the photography profession was well done.

This is definitely not a horror film in the truest sense, though it does portray a very real horror that happens to many. That isn't revealed until the very end, so you'll simply have to watch it to understand.

My only annoyance with the film is that the main character wears the same thing throughout, so I'm not sure if it was filmed in a day or what the deal was. Perhaps it's supposed to represent something that I'm too stupid to figure out. Regardless, I would recommend this for the performances if nothing else.